Caja-Fischel Trial Entering Final Phase
The long drawn out Caja-Fichel trial could
enter its final phase today with the
Fiscalía asking the judges of the Tribunal
Penal de Goicoechea the sanctions for the
accused, if found guilty.
In total eight people, including former
president, Rafael Ángel Calderón, who is
also a candidate for the 2010 presidential
elections, accused of corruption and
embezzlement related to the million dollar
purchase of medical equipment for the Caja
Costarricesence de Seguro Social (CCSS),
using a loan from the government of Finland.
The group is accused of dividing up and
pocketing large commissions on the purchase
that was made by was of the Corporacion
Fischel (Costa Rica's largest pharmacy
chain), to the detriment of the social
security system.
Juan Carlos Cubillo, the fiscal (prosecutor)
for the Ministerio Público asked the court
on Thursday to begin the process of
beginning closing arguments and setting out
the sanctions in the case.
Cubillo explained that the court will be
presented some 80 slides and estimates that
it will take about two and a half hours to
present the legal basis and the penalty.
The prosecutor did not advance what the
sanctions will be.
Accused along with former president Calderón,
are Walter Reiche, former president of the
Fischel; Eliseo Vargas, former president of
the Caja; Gerardo Bolaños, Juan Carlos
Sánchez, Olman Valverde, Marvin Barrantes
and Randall Vargas.
The case came to light when it was learned
that Eliseo Vargas was living in a luxurious
home in the upscale residential community of
Lindora, in Santa Ana, in a house paid for
by the Fischel Corporation.
The ensuing investigation discovered that,
while vargas was a legislative deputy, it
was proposed to use a us$30 million credit
from the government of Finland to purchase
medical equipment from the Caja.
Former president Calderón is alleged to have
sped up the deal which was finalized when
Vargas became the executive president of the
Caja.
The Corporacion Fischel was awarded the bid
for the purchase made with the Finnish loan
that had been expanded to us$39 million
dollars, of which millions of dollars in
commissions was funneled to the pockets of
the accused.
Calderón, notwithstanding being on trial
since last year, was chosen to as the
presidential candidate for the Partido
Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) to run in
2010.
Rafael Ángel Calderón, born in Diriamba,
Nicaragua, served as President of Costa Rica
from 1990 to 1994. His father was Rafael
Ángel Calderón Guardia, who was president
from 1940 to 1944, founder of the CCSS, who
also established the Labour Code,
introducing minimum wage in Costa Rica.
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